Two Hundred Twenty-Three

The new Ira Ryan bike is almost done!

Friday I rode about 50 miles with Matthew. Saturday I drove down to Salem and hooked up with John Henry Maurice, Jon, and Dennis from the Salem Bicycle Club (which was founded the year I was born) and rode for several leisurely hours. Sunday Matthew got me out of the house (thankfully). We motored up 219 toward Newberg and then took turns pulling through some flats and rolling hills before easing up on the way back home. None of the rides were terribly long. But that was just fine, since I was nursing my left Achilles tendon. I wasn't very tired after Sunday's ride, but by Monday my thighs were pretty sore. I love that feeling!

A new yoga DVD arrived Monday. I have a related book. Both are great training aids. Boy am I getting tight.

Robert Johnson's 50th birthday was Sunday! Be sure to congratulate him.

And check out this neat website:

http://www.readytoride.biz/

Later.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two

Here's a link to a map of a loop I often ride on weekends:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=790808

The distance is about 48 miles. (Drats! I thought it was closer to 50.) I usually do one loop with two water bottles, stop by the house, refill the bottles, and repeat. The terrain is a combination of rolling hills and flats. There are a few stop lights on the way out and several stop signs, which I always stop for (and ewe should too).

Last week I did two loops in almost exactly 6 hours, including all stops (refueling took about 10 minutes). On the first loop I got to draft behind a monster tractor towing a spreader from about mile 35.5 to just past mile 38. That was awesome!

Two Hundred Twenty-One

I rode 100 miles last Friday and took Saturday off. So I was pretty happy with the way I felt Sunday at Banana Belt III. I wasn't racing smart, just having fun. That and the miles from Friday caught up with me after I led the Cat V field past the finish line on the second lap. I lost some steam and let the pack get away from me. I could see them all the way until the dam, but I just couldn't bridge the gap by myself. I kept pushing as hard as I could, though, so it was a good workout. I swapped chainrings Sunday morning and should have taken out one more link in the chain. I was just barely able to get the chain tight. At the end of the race, I passed a couple of people and then we started racing. That's when the chain finally popped off with about 300 meters to go. Figuring I'd get a jump on the 'cross season rather than get my hands all greasy, I picked up the bike and ran to the finish.

Saturday I got to hang out with David and Lara all day. Lara's old bike was too small for her, so we donated it to the Community Cycling Center and got her a new used one, as well as new helmets for both kids. I told them not to chew on their chin straps, but they just bahhhed at me. (Get it?) Yeah, well, anyway... Lara's happy with her new bike, and it fits her much better.

The CCC was packed with customers. While we were standing around I spotted a purple Peugeot "Super Randonneur" twin lateral tandem frameset hanging from the ceiling. I asked how much they wanted for it. When I heard $125, I had to take a closer look. The captain's top tube is 55 cm, exactly the same as my Lemond. With 700c wheels, there's just enough standover clearance for me in the front. I stared at it for about 10 minutes and then snapped it up. I might have to sand a 22.2mm stem down a bit. The CCC claims the ID of the steerer is 22.2, but I'm suspicious. It might be 22.0, which I understand is typical of older French tubing. The rear bottom bracket is French threaded, and the front eccentric didn't come with the frame. Phil Wood should be able to help me solve both of those problems. (I called them this afternoon to inquire about the eccentric. Brent answered the phone. When I told him my name, he remembered me! How cool is that?) The ID of the seat tube is either 26.0 or 26.2. QBP carries seatposts in both sizes, and I can get a corresponding shim for the stoker stem. The frame has long horizontal dropouts spaced at 135mm. Perfect for a single speed! I haven't decided whether to put a V-brake or two on the bike. Maybe I'll leave the brakes off and turn it into a track bike. The hardest part is going to be finding a place to put the thing in the garage.

Last week I was telling Mike and Robert about how ultra-distance cycling has taught me to expect the unexpected. I was referring to problems that sneak up and bite you in the arse. The next day I spotted a pair of bald eagles just south of the Hwy 26 / Mountaindale intersection. Their white heads and tail feathers were spectacular. What a wonderfully unexpected surprise!